Systems and methods for thin-film deposition of metal oxides using excited nitrogen-oxygen species

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a process and system for depositing a thin film onto a substrate. One aspect of the invention is depositing a thin film metal oxide layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/332,600, filed May 7, 2010, the disclosure of which, that is not inconsistent with this disclosure, is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to thin film deposition, and more particularly to systems and methods using precursors to deposit metal oxides by atomic layer deposition using ozone and excited nitrogen-oxygen species.

2. Background of the Invention

For many years, silicon dioxide (SiO₂) has been used in semiconductor substrates for components such as transistor gate dielectrics and capacitor dielectrics. However, as circuit components have reduced in size, the electrical performance characteristics of SiO₂ result in undesirable effects such as increased leakage current. Controlling leakage current to maintain high speed and low power performance presents a challenge when older-generation dielectrics such as SiO₂ are used in the fabrication of newer integrated circuit geometries.

Newer processes, especially those that use fabrication geometries less than 65 nm have begun to include high dielectric constant (“high-k”) insulators in semiconductor fabrication. Some chipmakers now rely on high-k dielectrics, especially for 45 nm and smaller process geometries. Replacing SiO₂ gate dielectrics with high-k dielectrics is important to achieve smaller device geometries while controlling leakage and other electrical performance criteria.

While the use of high-k dielectrics allows for smaller scaling of integrated circuit components such as transistor gate dielectrics, challenges arise in their fabrication. Certain metal and rare earth oxides such as zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, and lanthanum oxide are known to provide desirable characteristics when deposited as thin films yet present challenges during the fabrication process such as incompatibilities between process chemistries, extended deposition cycle times, and less than desired deposition uniformity.

A wide variety of methods and related apparatus exist to provide a thin film on a substrate such as a semiconductor. Some methods form a thin film on a substrate by utilizing a surface reaction on the semiconductor, such as vacuum evaporation deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, different variants of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) (including low-pressure CVD, organometallic CVD and plasma-enhanced CVD) and Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE). ALE is also referred to as Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

ALD is a method of depositing thin films on a surface of a substrate through the sequential introduction of various precursor species. A conventional ALD apparatus may include a reaction chamber including a reactor and substrate holder, a gas flow system including gas inlets for providing precursors and reactants to a substrate surface and an exhaust system for removing used gases. The growth mechanism relies on the adsorption of a precursor on the active sites of the substrate and conditions are preferably maintained such that no more than a monolayer forms on the substrate, thereby self-terminating the process. Exposing the substrate to a first precursor is usually followed by a purging stage or other removal process (e.g., an evacuation or “pump down”) wherein any excess amounts of the first precursor as well as any reaction by-products are removed from the reaction chamber. The second reactant or precursor is then introduced into the reaction chamber at which time it reacts with the first precursor, and this reaction creates the desired thin film on the substrate. The reaction terminates when all of the available first precursor species adsorbed on the substrate has been reacted with the second precursor. A second purge or other removal stage is then performed which rids the reaction chamber of any remaining second precursor and possible reaction by-products. This cycle can be repeated to grow the film to a desired thickness.

One of the recognized advantages of ALD over other deposition processes is that it is self-saturating and uniform, as long as the temperature is within the ALD window (which is above the condensation temperature and below the thermal decomposition temperature of the reactants) and sufficient reactant is provided to saturate the surface in each pulse. Thus, neither temperature nor gas supply needs to be perfectly uniform in order to obtain uniform deposition.

ALD is further described in Finnish patent publications 52,359 and 57,975 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,058,430 and 4,389,973. Apparatus for implementing these methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,680, 6,511,539, and 6,820,570, Finnish Patent No. 100,409, Material Science Report 4(7)(1989), p. 261, and Tyhjiotekniikka (Finnish publication for vacuum techniques), ISBN 951-794-422-5, pp. 253-261.

Different film materials have been deposited employing ALD. Known materials for use in ALD include binary oxides such as Al₂O₃, HfO₂, ZrO₂, La₂O₃ and Ta₂O₅. Various ternary oxides are also well known materials for use in ALD and include HfZrO, HfAlO and HfLaO. As discussed previously, selection of the appropriate material for use in high-k dielectric applications requires consideration of the impact of the deposited substance on the particular substrate and circuit environment, as well as considerations over process chemistry. In the case of ALD of HfLaO, a known Hf-precursor is HfCl₄ and a known La-precursor is La(THD)₃. Due to the hygroscopic nature of La₂O₃, ozone (O₃) is often used instead of H₂O as an oxidant in prior art processes, but unfortunately, both the HfCl₄/O₃ process and the La(THD)/O₃ process are highly sensitive to even small changes in the ozone present. In some instances, use of ozone also results in less than desired uniformity of the deposited oxide film. Further, managing two different oxidation chemistries complicates the deposition process when it is desirable that a single oxidizer (such as ozone) could be used in a manner to obtain efficient and consistent deposition results, regardless of the type of metal precursor being used in the deposition process.

Plasma discharges can be used to excite gases to produce activated gases containing ions, free radicals, atoms and molecules. Activated gases are used for numerous industrial and scientific applications including processing solid materials such as semiconductor wafers, powders, and other gases. The parameters of the plasma and the conditions of the exposure of the plasma to the material being processed vary widely depending on the application.

Plasmas can be generated in various ways including current discharge, radio frequency (RF) discharge, and microwave discharge. Current discharges are achieved by applying a potential between two electrodes in a gas. RF discharges are achieved either by electrostatically or inductively coupling energy from a power supply into a plasma. Parallel plates are typically used for electrostatically coupling energy into plasma. Induction coils are typically used for inducing current into the plasma. Microwave discharges are achieved by directly coupling microwave energy through a microwave-passing window into a discharge chamber containing a gas. Microwave discharges are advantageous because they can be used to support a wide range of discharge conditions, including highly ionized electron cyclotron resonant (ECR) plasmas.

ALD systems have used plasma-based approaches to create oxidant gasses such as ozone. In one common configuration, Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) ozone generators create ozone (O₃) from oxygen (O₂) that is provided as a feedgas to a corona discharge source. Referring to FIG. 5, a simplified DBD ozone generator cell 500 is illustrated. Typically, dry feedgas oxygen 530 is passed through a gap 505 formed between electrodes 510A, 510B, which are in turn energized by a high voltage source such as an alternating current (AC) voltage source 560. The voltage produced by the source 560 can reach several thousand volts, depending on the configuration of the generator. Alternatively one of the electrodes may be at ground potential, and the other electrode energized to a high voltage. A dielectric material 520A, 520B, is interposed between the energized electrodes 510A, 510B and the feedgas 530. When high voltage at low or high frequencies is applied to the electrodes 510A, 510B, ozone 550 is produced in the feedgas by micro-discharges taking place in the gap 505 and distributed across the dielectric 520A, 520B. The geometry of the gap and the quality of the dielectric material vary by the ozone generator manufacturer. Of note, DBD devices can be fabricated in many configurations, typically planar, using parallel plates separated by a dielectric or in a cylindrical form, using coaxial plates with a dielectric tube between them. In a common coaxial configuration, the dielectric is shaped in the same form as common fluorescent tubing. It is filled at atmospheric pressure with either a rare gas or rare gas-halide mix, with the glass walls acting as the dielectric barrier. Common dielectric materials include glass, quartz, ceramics and polymers. The gap distance between electrodes varies considerably, from 0.1 mm to several cm, depending on the application. The composition of the feed gas is also an important factor in the operation of the ozone generator.

High-performance ozone generators that use the DBD principle require nitrogen in the feed gas to obtain optimum performance and consistent ozone generation. The formation of ozone involves a reaction between an oxygen atom, an oxygen molecule and a collision partner such as O₂, N₂ or possibly other molecules. If the collision partner is nitrogen, the nitrogen molecules are able to transfer their excitation energy, after impact, to the oxygen molecules resulting in dissociation. Some of the excited nitrogen radicals that are formed may also dissociate oxygen or react with nitrogen oxides to liberate oxygen atoms. Many different forms of nitrogen-oxygen compounds may be produced during the process—NO, NO₂, N₂O, and N₂O₅, have been measured in the output DBD-type ozone generators. Some manufacturers have focused efforts to reduce or eliminate altogether the presence of certain N—O species from the output ozone stream of their ozone generators, as in some instances, aggressive corrosion of gas lines and welds from N—O compounds in the ozone stream may occur. In conventional ozone generators, control over the presence and type of N—O compounds in the output stream of ozone generators is lacking, and a need exists to be able to monitor and/or actively control the formation and generation of such compounds.

Thus, a need exists for a method for depositing a dielectric film on a substrate with reduced throughput times and with enhanced deposition uniformity. What is also needed is a system to monitor and/or control nitrogen-oxygen compounds created in an oxidizer generator such as an ozone generator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes methods and systems for depositing a metal oxide film such as a hafnium oxide (HfO₂), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), lanthanum oxide (La₂O₃) and/or tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅) on a substrate with enhanced deposition efficiency and uniformity. Embodiments of the present invention utilize an ALD system in combination with various precursors as explained below in combination with molecular and excited nitrogen-oxygen radical/ionic species (hereinafter referred to as “NxOy species,” where “x” and “y” may constitute any appropriate integers, and which may include excited species such as NO* and N₂O*) in possible further combination with oxidizers such as ozone. Embodiments of the present invention also include electronic components and systems that include devices fabricated with methods consistent with the present invention.

Ozone (O₃) is a commonly used oxidant in ALD of various high-k metal oxides. Commercially available ozone delivery systems commonly rely on the dielectric barrier discharge and often utilize nitrogen in the feed gas to provide consistent ozone generation. Through a series of plasma reactions, various N_(x)O_(y) species can also form within the corona from O₂ in the presence of N₂. These species, while present in various concentrations in the generator effluent, are unregulated by the delivery system which measures and actively controls the O₃ concentration only.

Several ALD processes using ozone are extremely sensitive to the conditions of ozone generation. For example, a wide response in HfO₂ deposition rate and film uniformity was observed as a function of O2:N₂ feed gas ratio and reactor temperature in a cross-flow, thermal ALD reactor HfCl₄/O₃ ALD (using pure O₃) has a process window at low reactor temperature (200-250° C.). At higher temperatures (e.g., 300° C.), uniform HfO₂ layers were obtained when N2 was added during O₃ generation, as represented in FIG. 15. This indicates that the reactive species in ozone based ALD may not be exclusively O₃, but at 300° C. N_(x)O_(y) species may contribute as well.

Therefore, a study was conducted to first characterize the gaseous species entering (from ozone delivery system) and exiting the ALD reactor as a function of O₂:N₂ feed gas ratio, O₃ concentration, and generator power levels using FTIR. N₂O₅ and N₂O are detected at the outlet of the O₃ delivery unit with N₂/O₂ feed gas, as represented in FIG. 16. The lifetime of O₃ and the N_(x)O_(y) species were investigated as a function of the reactor temperature and material of coating (HfO₂, Al₂O₃, etc.). FTIR analysis of the reactor effluent during the ozone half-reaction with adsorbed HfO₂—HfCl₃ was employed to elucidate the role of N_(x)O_(y) species on HfO₂ deposition. ALD deposition rates, film uniformities, and various bulk and electrical film properties for HfO₂ deposited under various ozone delivery conditions, and based on FTIR, and theories surrounding the role of O₃ and N_(x)O_(y) species on potential reaction paths are were determined.

During experiments conducted in ALD deposition of thin film metal oxides using metal halide precursor/ozone oxidizer chemistry, it was observed that no growth was taking place on a substrate when the substrate was exposed to an ozone oxidizer that had been generated by using pure oxygen feed gas. However, when gaseous nitrogen was added to the oxygen stream in the ozone generator, as is commonly the practice to increase efficiency of ozone generation, layer growth was observed during the ALD deposition process. For example, in various trials using ozone generated from pure oxygen, no uniform HfO₂ or ZrO₂ layers could be deposited at 300° C., but when ozone was generated from oxygen/nitrogen feedgas, uniform layers could be deposited. Different trials also showed that the growth rate and uniformity is dependent upon the amount of nitrogen used in the ozone generator relative to the amount of oxygen feed gas.

It was further determined by experimentation that the concentration of N₂ feedgas used for the generation of ozone influences the deposition process. FIG. 10 shows a chart of one such trial, where 0 ppm of N₂ showed little uniform growth, 40 ppm of N₂ resulted in an increased growth, and when N₂ was adjusted to 400 ppm, significant uniform growth occurred. Additional experiments were then undertaken as depicted in FIGS. 11-12, using an O₂ flow in the ozone generator of 2.5 slm, 18 wt %, with close loop control, with varying concentrations of nitrogen shown in the charts. Ozone injection flow into the reaction chamber was 1200 sccm. The HfCl₄ precursor was pulsed into the chamber for 3 seconds followed by a 3 second purge, and the gas obtained from the ozone generator was then pulsed into the reaction chamber for 10 seconds followed by a 10 second purge. As a result, growth rate of the deposited metal oxide layer began to increase immediately when nitrogen concentration was increased, and reached a first peak when nitrogen concentration reached about 110 ppm (as seen in the close-up view of FIG. 11, which represents the left most portion of the graph in FIG. 12) and gently started declining as nitrogen concentrations were further increased. Likewise, uniformity (NU %) was improved and reached its best values at about 110 ppm of nitrogen concentration. FIG. 12 shows an additional impact when N₂ concentration was increased; first, thickness fell and uniformity decreased up to the range of about 4000 ppm of N₂, but then the trend reversed itself as the N₂ concentration increased, significantly flattening out around 24000 ppm of N₂. Depending on the desired effect on the growth rate and uniformity of the deposited layer, a concentration of N₂ may be adjusted to achieve the desired effect. FIG. 13 shows a different view of the process using similar HfCl₄ precursor and process parameters, but shows growth rate and uniformity as a function of the flow rate of N₂ feedgas supplied to the ozone generator. As can be seen in the graph, increasing the flow of N₂ produced a substantial increase in growth rate and improvement in uniformity of the deposited hafnium oxide layer.

Experiments with other ALD precursor chemistries also demonstrated an improvement in deposition of metal oxides when nitrogen feed gas concentrations were increased in the ozone generator. FIG. 14 illustrates a chart showing improvements of the thickness and uniformity (NU %) of a deposited lanthanum oxide film in an ALD process as the amount of nitrogen feedgas supplied to the ozone generator is increased. The precursor used in this case was the rare earth cyclopentadienyl (Cp) compound La(iPrCp)₃.

Additional tests were undertaken to determine whether the strong oxidant N₂O, when used alone as an oxidizer gas in ALD processes, would cause metal oxide layer growth with HfCl₄ and TMA precursor chemistries. The N₂O gas was furnished not from an ozone generation-type device but from a cylinder, and regardless of temperatures used during the ALD process, no growth was observed in this configuration. The active N—O compounds formed during ozone generation, however, were effective in producing uniform layer growth as described above.

It was determined that various nitrogen compounds originating from exposure of oxygen and nitrogen to a plasma source result in active compounds that enhance growth rate and uniformity of thin film deposition processes. Embodiments of the present invention utilize nitrogen and oxygen compounds, particularly excited N—O species obtained from exposure of the component gasses to a plasma source, to obtain uniform growth of metal oxide layers in ALD processes. Those of skill in the relevant arts also appreciate that use of excited N—O species may also be used in other types of deposition processes described above.

In one embodiment, methods and systems of the present invention utilize an activated gas containing ions and active species of nitrogen-oxygen compounds in the form of free radicals (referred to herein as active N_(x)O_(y) species, where “x” and “y” may comprise any appropriate integers) to enhance deposition of thin film metal oxides including rare earth oxides. After a substrate has been exposed to an ALD precursor pulse/purge cycle in the reactor, the ions/free radicals in the gas are introduced into a reactor with a substrate during an oxidation pulse, with or without an additional oxidizer such as ozone. The introduced gasses are allowed to contact a material to be treated, whereby a desired reaction occurs. In one embodiment, an organo-metallic or metal halide-containing layer of deposited material is oxidized by introduction of the activated N_(x)O_(y) species with or without an additional oxidizer.

As used herein, “substrate” refers to any surface upon which film processing is performed. For example, a substrate on which processing can be performed, can be comprised of materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, silicon on insulator (SOI), carbon doped silicon oxides, silicon nitride, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, or any other suitable materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, or other conductive materials, printed organic or inorganic circuit boards, or thin-film ceramic substrates, depending on the application. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate comprises a semiconductor. Barrier layers, metals or metal nitrides on a substrate surface include titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride. Substrates may have any desired dimensions, such as 200 mm or 300 mm diameter wafers, and may also take the form of rectangular or square panels.

As used herein, “pulse” refers to an introduction of a quantity of a compound that is intermittently or non-continuously introduced into a reaction zone of a reaction chamber. The quantity of a particular compound within each pulse may vary over time, depending on the duration of the pulse. As more fully explained below, the duration of each pulse is selected depending upon a number of factors such as, for example, the volume capacity of the process chamber employed, the vacuum system coupled thereto, and the volatility/reactivity of the particular compound itself.

In one embodiment, method is provided for depositing a film on a substrate that is situated within a reaction chamber, the method comprising applying an atomic layer deposition cycle to the substrate, the cycle comprising: exposing the substrate to a precursor gas for a precursor pulse interval then removing the precursor gas thereafter; and exposing the substrate to an oxidizer comprising an oxidant gas and a nitrogen-containing species gas for a oxidation pulse interval then removing the oxidizer thereafter. The precursor gas may include any appropriate metal, and various embodiments of the present invention include precursor gasses comprising one or more rare earth metals such as Sc, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu. The precursor gas may comprise any desired compound such as metallic, organo-metallic, or metal halide compounds, including, but not limited to hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl₄); titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄); tantalum pentachloride (TaCl₅); tantalum pentafluoride (TaF₅); zirkonium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄); rare earth betadiketonate compounds including (La(THD)₃) and (Y(THD)₃); rare earth cyclopentadienyl (Cp) compounds including La(iPrCp)₃; rare earth amidinate compounds including lanthanum tris-formamidinate La(FAMD)₃; cyclooctadienyl compounds including rare earth metals; alkylamido compounds including: tetrakis-ethyl-methylamino hafnium (TEMAHf); tetrakis (diethylamino) hafnium ((Et₂N)₄Hf or TDEAH); and tetrakis (dimethylamino) hafnium ((Me₂N)₄Hf or TDMAH); alkoxides; halide compounds of silicon; silicon tetrachloride; silicon tetrafluoride; and silicon tetraiodide.

The oxidant gas may comprise any appropriate oxidant, and may include only a nitrogen-containing species gas. The nitrogen-containing species gas may include activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N₂O₅*. The oxidant preferably may contain ozone in combination with one or more gasses selected from the group consisting of O, O₂, NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, NO_(x), an N_(x)O_(y) radical species, an N_(x)O_(y) ionic species, an N_(x)O_(y) molecular species, and combinations thereof. Various active concentrations of ozone may be utilized in the oxidant gas, including approximately 5 atomic percent to 25 atomic percent O₃. The oxidant gas may include molecular, or activated ionic or radical species that result from decomposition processes, for example but not limited to the decomposition of N₂O₅* into products such as NO₂* and NO₃*.

Ozone used in embodiments of the present invention may be generated from a plasma discharge being supplied O₂ and a nitrogen source gas, which may include N₂ or any gaseous source of nitrogen such as NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, and N₂O₅, The output stream of the ozone generator may include, in various embodiments, a nitrogen-containing species gas including a molecular N_(x)O_(y) species and or in addition to an excited N_(x)O_(y) radical or ionic species, and may comprise a mixture of two or more of O₂, NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, NO_(N), N_(x)O_(y), radicals thereof, and O₃, and wherein the mixture comprises approximately 5 atomic percent to 25 atomic percent O₃. Any desired flow ratio may be used to generate the ozone and N_(x)O_(y) species, including a mix where the flow ratio of N₂/O₂ exceeds 0.001. The ratio of the oxygen and nitrogen source gas may also influence other aspects of the ALD process including a growth rate of the deposited film; film uniformity across the substrate; a dielectric constant of the deposited film; an index of refraction of the deposited film; and a molecular composition of the deposited film. The output stream may comprises a mixture of gasses that result from decomposition processes, for example but not limited to the decomposition of N₂O₅ into products such as NO₂ and NO₃.

Embodiments of the generator of the present invention may be adjusted by at least controlling power input, oxygen gas input or nitrogen input. In one embodiment, a power input controls the plasma, and an amount of power delivered to the plasma determine at least one of a growth rate of the deposited film; film uniformity across the substrate; a dielectric constant of the deposited film; an index of refraction of the deposited film; and a molecular composition of the deposited film. A method is further provided to adjust the generation of an oxidizer such as ozone by exposing O₂ and a nitrogen source gas to a plasma discharge; monitoring a ratio of O₃ and excited N_(x)O_(y) species generated by the plasma discharge; and adjusting at least one of a power input to the plasma discharge, a temperature of a housing; a flow rate of the O₂, and a flow rate of the nitrogen source gas to achieve a predetermined criterion. The criterion may be selected to be any appropriate parameter of generator operation, including an oxidizer flow rate; an oxidant/N_(x)O_(y) concentration ratio; an active N_(x)O_(y) species concentration; a ratio of active N_(x)O_(y) species, wherein the excited N_(x)O_(y) species gas contains a plurality of excited nitrogen-oxygen compounds; and a concentration of a particular active nitrogen-oxygen compound.

Embodiments of the present invention may include additional precursor pulses and oxidizer pulses in any combination. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a second precursor gas for a second precursor pulse interval then removing the second precursor gas thereafter; and after removing the second precursor gas, exposing the substrate to an oxidizer comprising an oxidant gas and a nitrogen-containing species gas for a oxidation pulse interval then removing the oxidizer thereafter. Generally, methods of the present invention include depositing a metal oxide at least one of in any film stack using a metal halide precursor and an oxidant comprising ozone and excited nitrogen-oxygen species. The metal oxides may comprise, for example, at least one of Al₂O₃, HfO₂, ZrO₂, La₂O₃ and Ta₂O₅. The metal halides comprise any metal in compound combination with any halide element.

The ALD cycle may be repeated any number of times to achieve any desired goal such as a predetermined layer thickness. The number of iterations of precursor sequences per ALD cycle may also vary, as may the ratio of the number of first precursor gas sequences performed versus the number of second precursor gas sequences performed per ALD cycle.

The pulse interval for exposure of various gasses to the substrate may be chosen to satisfy any desired process criterion, such as deposited layer growth rate or cycle throughput time. In one embodiment, the first precursor pulse interval is in the range of 300 milliseconds to 5 seconds; the first oxidation pulse interval is in the range of 50 milliseconds to 10 seconds; the second precursor pulse interval is in the range of 500 ms to 10 seconds; and the first oxidation pulse interval is in the range of 50 milliseconds to 10 seconds. In a preferred embodiment, the first precursor pulse interval is in the range of 1 second to 2 seconds; the first oxidation pulse interval is in the range of 50 milliseconds to 2 seconds; the second precursor pulse interval is in the range of 1 second to 4 seconds; and the first oxidation pulse interval is in the range of 50 milliseconds to 2 seconds.

Gasses and reaction byproducts may be removed from the reaction chamber using any desired technique. In one instance, the method of removing the precursor gas and oxidizer gas comprises introducing a purge gas into the reaction chamber for a predetermined purge period, wherein the purge gas comprises at least one of argon, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, forming gas, krypton, and xenon; and the purge period may be selected to be in the range of approximately 3 seconds to 10 seconds. In an alternative embodiment, the purge period is within the range of 500 milliseconds to four seconds. In one implementation, the method of removing one or more of the precursor gas and the oxidizer gas could comprise evacuating gas from the reaction chamber for a predetermined evacuation period.

Electronic devices may be fabricated by methods consistent with the present invention. Such devices include capacitors, transistors, a FLASH memory cells, and a DRAM memory cells, whether created as discrete components or formed within a semiconductor or other substrate. The electronic devices may comprise a metal oxide dielectric layer and a conductive layer in communication with the dielectric layer, the dielectric layer being deposited in a film by applying an ALD cycle to the substrate in the manner described herein.

There is also presented as described more fully below a system comprising: a reaction chamber; a precursor reactant source coupled to the reactor chamber; a purge gas source coupled to the reactor chamber; an oxidant source coupled to the reactor chamber; an excited nitrogen species source coupled to the reactor chamber; and a system operation and control mechanism wherein the system is configured to perform the steps of any method described herein. It is to be understood that the descriptions of this invention herein are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a process flow for an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a thin film processing system of the present invention.

FIG. 3A shows a schematic illustration of a thin film processing system of the present invention with separated oxidizer and NxOy species sources.

FIG. 3B shows a schematic illustration of a thin film processing system of the present invention with an NxOy species source within the reaction chamber.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the oxidizer/NxOy species source of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified DBD ozone generator cell of the prior art.

FIG. 6 depicts a metal oxide transistor with a dielectric layer formed by methods consistent with the present invention

FIG. 7 shows a memory cell with at least one dielectric layer formed by methods consistent with the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a general system incorporating an electronic component that includes a dielectric layer formed by methods consistent with the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an information processing device such as a computer that incorporates electronic components including a dielectric layer formed by methods consistent with the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a chart depicting HfO₂ layer growth rate at various concentrations of nitrogen feed gas in an ozone generator.

FIG. 11 shows a chart depicting another trial measuring thickness and uniformity of deposited hafnium oxide when nitrogen feedgas concentration was being varied, and represents the leftmost portion of FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 shows a chart depicting a trial measuring thickness and uniformity of deposited hafnium oxide when nitrogen feedgas concentration was being varied.

FIG. 13 shows a chart depicting a trial measuring thickness and uniformity of deposited hafnium oxide when nitrogen feedgas flow rate was being varied.

FIG. 14 illustrates a chart showing improvements of the thickness and uniformity of a deposited lanthanum oxide film as an amount of nitrogen feedgas supplied to an ozone generator is increased.

FIG. 15 shows a chart depicting HfO₂ layer growth rate at various concentrations of nitrogen feed gas in an ozone generator with comparative nitrogen/oxygen ratio.

FIG. 16 illustrates a detection of N₂O₅ and N₂O are detected at the outlet of an O₃ delivery unit with N₂:O₂ feed gas.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the invention provide methods for preparing thin films used in a variety of applications, especially for depositing high-k dielectric materials and barrier materials used in transistor, capacitor, and memory cell fabrication. The methods include the use of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to deposit a metal oxide thin film layer on a substrate.

The material deposited in a film during ALD deposition of the present invention may be any desired material such as a dielectric material, a barrier material, a conductive material, a nucleation/seed material or an adhesion material. In one embodiment, the deposited material may be a dielectric material containing oxygen and at least one additional element, such as lanthanum, hafnium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, aluminum, zirconium, or combinations thereof, and in a preferred embodiment, the deposited material comprises a metal oxide, and more particularly a rare earth metal oxide. In additional embodiments, the dielectric material may contain hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, lanthanum oxide, titanium oxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, oxynitrides thereof (e.g., HfO_(x)N_(y)), silicates thereof. (e.g., HfSi_(x)O_(y)), aluminates thereof (e.g., HfAl_(x)O_(y)), silicon oxynitrides thereof (e.g., HfSi_(x)O_(y)N_(z)), and combinations thereof. The dielectric material may also contain multiple layers of varying compositions. For example, a laminate film may be formed by depositing a silicon oxide layer onto a hafnium lanthanum oxide layer to form a hafnium lanthanum silicate material.

In one embodiment, methods and systems of the present invention utilize an activated gas containing ions and active species of nitrogen-oxygen compounds in the form of free radicals (hereinafter referred to as active NxOy species) to enhance deposition of thin film metal oxides including rare earth oxides. In an embodiment, the NxOy species are presented to a substrate during a pulse of an ALD process following a metal precursor pulse, possibly with an oxidizer such as ozone.

Referring to FIG. 1, a method 100 for depositing a thin metal oxide film using activated gas compounds such as NxOy species is presented. At the beginning (105) of the process 100, a substrate is located within a reaction chamber, and heated to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature may comprise any desired temperature, and embodiments of the present invention may include temperatures such as about 130° C. to 300° C. During execution of the process 100, the reaction chamber is maintained at any desired pressure range such as from about 1 mTorr to about 200 Torr, and in an embodiment of the present invention from about 2 Torr to 6 Torr, and in another embodiment, from about 3 Torr to 4 Torr, and in yet another preferred embodiment the reaction chamber pressure is maintained at about 3.5 Torr.

A carrier gas may be continually or intermittently admitted into the reaction chamber, and may be utilized to distribute precursor products, reaction products, and oxidation products or to purge remaining gasses or reaction byproducts from the reaction chamber. Suitable carrier gases or purge gases may include argon, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, forming gas, or combinations thereof.

After the ALD process is initiated (105), a precursor gas is pulsed (110) into a reaction chamber with or without a carrier gas. The precursor gas may comprise any desired compound such as metallic, organo-metallic, or metal halide compounds, including, but not limited to hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl₄); titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄); tantalum pentachloride (TaCl₅); tantalum pentafluoride (TaF₅); zirkonium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄); rare earth betadiketonate compounds including (La(THD)₃) and (Y(THD)₃); rare earth cyclopentadienyl (Cp) compounds including La(iPrCp)₃; rare earth amidinate compounds including lanthanum tris-formamidinate La(FAMD)₃; cyclooctadienyl compounds including rare earth metals; alkylamido compounds including: tetrakis-ethyl-methylamino hafnium (TEMAHf); tetrakis (diethylamino) hafnium ((Et₂N)₄Hf or TDEAH); and tetrakis (dimethylamino) hafnium ((Me₂N)₄Hf or TDMAH); alkoxides; halide compounds of silicon; silicon tetrachloride; silicon tetrafluoride; and silicon tetraiodide.

During the gas pulses as referred to herein, the substrate in the reaction chamber is exposed to the admitted gas for a predetermined period of time, and this period of time is herein referred to as a pulse interval. The pulse interval for the presentation of the precursor gas to the substrate may be predetermined to be any desired time, and for example may include a time in the range of approximately 300 milliseconds to 5 seconds, and in one embodiment the pulse interval is in the range of 1 second to 3 seconds.

After the substrate has been exposed to the precursor gas for a predetermined pulse interval, the precursor gas is purged (120) from the reaction chamber by admission of a purge gas and/or by evacuation or pumping. Purging time, or the time during which a purging gas is admitted to the reaction chamber to displace and/or remove other gasses or reaction products, may be selected to be any desired time such as approximately 3 to 10 seconds, and may in some embodiments be approximately 500 milliseconds to 5 seconds.

An activated NxOy species gas as defined above is introduced (130) to the reaction chamber, and in one embodiment, a layer of precursor material deposited in step (110) is oxidized by introduction of the activated NxOy species with or without an additional oxidizer. During this step (130) an oxidizer/oxidant gas or combination of oxidizer/oxidant gasses may be admitted concurrently or sequentially into the reaction chamber to react with the first precursor. The NxOy species gas may also be introduced with or without a carrier gas such as nitrogen N₂, and further in possible combination with an oxidant gas or mixture of oxidant gasses. As mentioned previously, the NxOy species may comprise any activated, ionic or radical N—O compound such as activated nitrous oxide (N₂O*), nitric oxide (NO*), dinitrogen pentoxide (N₂O₅*), or nitrogen dioxide (NO₂*). The NxOy species gas may be generated in any desired manner, and in one embodiment, the NxOy species are created by plasma discharge from an ozone generator being supplied O₂, N₂, N₂O, NO, NH₃ or any nitrogen bearing molecule wherein concentration of nitrogen bearing molecule is greater than 5 sccm/2000 sccm or 2000 ppm. In another embodiment, the NxOy species are created within or supplied to the reaction chamber by remote or direct plasma methods such as inductively coupled, ECR (electron cyclotron resonance), capactively coupled methods, with any desired feedgas. In yet another embodiment, NxOy species are created by feeding a nitrogen-oxygen gas such as NO or N₂O into a coronal discharge (such as provided by an ozone generator) (or alternatively a remote or direct plasma source) with no additional oxygen. Additional N₂ may be provided to the coronal discharge or plasma source along with the nitrogen-oxygen gasses. In yet another embodiment, a stoichiometric amount of N₂+O₂ is provided to a coronal discharge or plasma source to produce NxOy* (e.g., NO radicals).

Any desired oxidizing gas may be used in any step in the present ALD process, and such oxidizing gas may include oxygen (O₂), ozone (O₃), atomic-oxygen (O), water (H₂O), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), nitric oxide (NO), dinitrogen pentoxide (N₂O₅), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), derivatives thereof or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the oxidizing gas is an ozone/oxygen (O₃/O₂) mixture, such that the ozone is at a concentration within a range from about 5 atomic percent O₃ of the O₃/O₂ mixture to about 25 atomic percent O₃. In one embodiment where the NxOy species is introduced concurrently with an oxidant gas such as an ozone/oxygen (O₃/O₂) mixture, the NxOy species may represent greater than 1% of oxidizing flow stream by volume. In an alternate preferred embodiment, the oxidant gas added to the NxOy species gas is an ozone/oxygen (O₃/O₂) mixture, such that the ozone is at a concentration within a range from about 12 atomic percent O₃ of the O₃/O₂ mixture to about 18 atomic percent O₃.

The NxOy/oxidizer step (130) continues for a predetermined pulse interval, and the duration thereof may be any appropriate time range such as approximately 50 milliseconds to 10 seconds, and in another embodiment, the first oxidation pulse interval is in the range of 50 milliseconds to 2 seconds. The NxOy gas or NxOy/oxidant gas is then purged (140) from the reaction chamber by admission of a purge gas or by evacuation or pumping. Purging time may be selected to be any suitable time such as approximately 3-10 seconds, and may in some embodiments be approximately 500 milliseconds.

Once the NxOy species gas or NxOy/oxidant gas has been purged from the reaction chamber, the process 100 of FIG. 1 continues, wherein a determination is made (150) whether to repeat (160) the sequence. Such a determination may be made based on any desired criteria. For example, it may be based upon the number of precursor gas pulse sequences required to achieve a particular concentration, thickness, and/or uniformity of a deposited substance. The determination may also be made in the case of another embodiment incorporating a plurality of precursor/purge steps before the NxOy pulse step a desired ratio of a precursors, especially in embodiment wherein multiple different precursors are applied to the substrate before exposure to the NxOy species to obtain a desired substrate such as a ternary metal oxide. For example, in any order, a lanthanum-containing precursor could be used in one precursor pulse and a hafnium-containing precursor in another precursor pulse producing an HfLaO oxide layer after an NxOy pulse step. The process 100 iterates (160) until the predetermined criteria are satisfied, whereupon, the process terminates (155).

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a thin film processing system 200 including a reaction chamber that further includes mechanism for retaining a substrate (not shown) under predetermined pressure, temperature, and ambient conditions, and for selectively exposing the substrate to various gasses. A precursor reactant source 220 is coupled by conduits or other appropriate means 220A to the reaction chamber, and may further couple to a manifold, valve control system, mass flow control system, or other mechanism to control a gaseous precursor originating from the precursor reactant source 220. A precursor (not shown) supplied by the precursor reactant source 220 the reactant (not shown) may be liquid or solid under room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure conditions. Such a precursor may be vaporized within a reactant source vacuum vessel, which may be maintained at or above a vaporizing temperature within a precursor source chamber. In such embodiments, the vaporized precursor may be transported with a carrier gas (e.g., an inactive or inert gas) and then fed into the reaction chamber 210 through conduit 220A. In other embodiments, the precursor may be a vapor under standard conditions. In such embodiments, the precursor does not need to be vaporized and may not require a carrier gas. For example, in one embodiment the precursor may be stored in a gas cylinder.

A purge gas source 230 is also coupled to the reaction chamber 210, and selectively supplies various inert or noble gasses to the reaction chamber 210 to assist with removal of precursor gasses, oxidizer gasses, NxOy species gasses or waste gasses from the reaction chamber. The various inert or noble gasses that may be supplied may originate from a solid, liquid, or stored gaseous form. An oxidizer/NxOy species source 240 is coupled 240A to the reaction chamber 210, again through conduits or other appropriate means 220A to the reaction chamber, and may further couple to a manifold, valve control system, mass flow control system, or other mechanism to control a gaseous oxidizer/NxOy species gas originating from the precursor reactant source 220.

The oxidizer/NxOy species source 240 generates ozone and NxOy species through any desired mechanism and any desired feedgasses including conventional ozone generators, direct or remote plasma generators, or the like. FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the oxidizer/NxOy species source 240 of the present invention, wherein an output stream 240A including NxOy species is created by plasma discharge from a generator 430 being supplied an oxidizer such as O₂ from an oxidizer source 410 coupled 420 to the generator 430, and a nitrogen source 430 coupled 440 to the generator 430 and supplying N₂, N₂O, NO, NH₃ or any nitrogen bearing molecule. The generator 430 may further comprise an ozone generator such as a DBD generator, or a generator utilizing any remote or direct plasma activation method such as inductively coupled, ECR (electron cyclotron resonance), or capacitively coupled methods.

In alternate embodiments (not shown) NxOy species are created by feeding a nitrogen-oxygen gas such as NO or N₂O into a coronal discharge in the generator 430 with no additional oxidizer. Additional N₂ may be provided to the generator 430 along with the nitrogen-oxygen gasses. In yet another embodiment, a stoichiometric amount of N₂+O₂ is provided to the generator 430 to produce NxOy* (e.g. NO radicals).

A sensor 450 may be utilized to monitor the amount, composition, and/or concentration of oxidizer and NxOy species being created by the generator 430. The sensor 450 may comprise any appropriate hardware, mechanism, or software to detect the presence of desired NxOy radical or ionic species and/or oxidizers, and may include in various embodiments, a sensor including a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analyzer, a UV absorption sensor, a density sensor, a conductivity/permittivity sensor, a chemiluminescence sensor, or a gas chromatography sensor. The sensor 450 may be further coupled to a NxOy species generator control 460, which through various user or automated inputs 470, configures the generator 430, oxidizer source 410, nitrogen source 430, and optional carrier gas source (not shown) to produce a desired composition and volume of NxOy species and other gasses in the output stream 240A. Such other gases in some embodiments may include oxidizers such as O₂/O₃ in desired ratios or other gasses. For example, but not by way of limitation, the generator control 460 may modulate a power input (not shown) to the generator 430 to change the composition of the types of activated ionic or free radical N—O compounds in the gaseous output stream 240A. By virtue of the sensor's 450 coupling to the generator 430 and/or its output stream 240A, and by the control 460 being configured to receive signals from sensor 450 indicating changes in the composition and volume of the output stream 240A, closed-loop control can be implemented by software and/or electronic hardware to operate electrically- or pneumatically-controlled valves to control the flow of nitrogen source gasses, oxidizer source gasses, carrier gasses, or other gasses in addition to controlling a power and/or frequency input to the generator 430 to achieve a desired output gas composition including NxOy species.

FIG. 2 also illustrates a system operation and control mechanism 260 that provides electronic circuitry and mechanical components to selectively operate valves, manifolds, pumps, and other equipment included in the system 200. Such circuitry and components operate to introduce precursors, purge gasses, oxidizers/NxOy species from the respective precursor sources 220, purge gas source 230, and oxidizer/NxOy source to the reaction chamber 210. The system operation and control mechanism 260 also controls timing of gas pulse sequences, temperature of the substrate and reaction chamber, and pressure of the reaction chamber and various other operations necessary to provide proper operation of the system 200. The operation and control mechanism 260 can include control software and electrically or pneumatically controlled valves to control the flow of precursors, reactants, oxidizers, NxOy species, and purge gases into and out of the reaction chamber 210. In one embodiment that is particularly suited for ALD reactors, the operation and control mechanism 260 also controls the flow of the treatment gas into the reaction chamber 210 to deactivate the surface against ALD reactions, such as by forming a protective layer on an inner surface of the reaction space. After deactivating the surfaces, the control system loads substrate(s) such as silicon wafers into the chamber 210 and flows precursor, oxidizer, NxOy species, and/or purge gases into the chamber 210 to form a deposit on the substrate. The control system can include modules such as a software or hardware component, e.g., a FPGA or ASIC, which performs certain tasks. A module can advantageously be configured to reside on the addressable storage medium of the control system and be configured to execute one or more processes.

Those of skill in the relevant arts appreciate that other configurations of the present system are possible, including different number and kind of precursor reactant sources, purge gas sources, and/or oxidizer/NxOy sources. Further, such persons will also appreciate that there are many arrangements of valves, conduits, precursor sources, purge gas sources carrier gas sources, and/or oxidizer sources that may be used to accomplish the goal of selectively feeding gasses into the reactor reaction chamber 210. Further, as a schematic representation of a thin film processing system, many components have been omitted for simplicity of illustration, and such components may include, for example, various valves, manifolds, purifiers, heaters, containers, vents, and/or bypasses.

FIG. 3A shows an alternative schematic implementation of the processing system 200, where a oxidizer/reactant source 340 is coupled 340A to the reaction chamber 210 separate from an NxOy species source 360 that is also coupled 360A to the reaction chamber. Through this configuration, the system operation and control 260 may introduce oxidizer or other reactants from the oxidizer reactant source 340 independently from introducing NxOy species-bearing gasses to the reaction chamber 210. Through this configuration, it may be possible to apply independent gas pulses of oxidizers, NxOy species-bearing gasses, or a combination of the two to the reaction chamber to achieve a particular layer deposition result. In one exemplary implementation, alternating pulses of oxidizer and NxOy species-bearing gasses may be applied to obtain enhanced growth rates or uniformity of metal oxide films deposited on the substrate within the reaction chamber 210.

FIG. 3B shows yet another schematic implementation of the processing system 200, where a oxidizer/reactant source 340 is coupled 340A to the reaction chamber 210 separate from an NxOy species source 390 that is integrated within the reaction chamber 210. Not shown are conduits and couplings that supply various source feedgasses such as oxygen- or nitrogen-bearing gasses to the NxOy species source 390, or its output connection that relays NxOy species-bearing gasses to the substrate located within the reaction chamber 210. Similarly to the illustrated of the system 200 depicted in regards to FIG. 3A, the system operation and control 260 may introduce oxidizer or other reactants from the oxidizer/reactant source 340 independently from introducing NxOy species-bearing gasses to the reaction chamber 210. Also, through this configuration, it may be possible to apply independent gas pulses of oxidizers, NxOy species-bearing gasses, or a combination of the two to the reaction chamber to achieve a particular layer deposition result. In one exemplary implementation, alternating pulses of oxidizer and NxOy species-bearing gasses may be applied to obtain enhanced growth rates or uniformity of metal oxide films deposited on the substrate within the reaction chamber 210.

FIG. 6 illustrates a single metal oxide (MOS) transistor 600 fabricated with an embodiment of a method of the present invention to form a dielectric layer 620 containing an ALD-deposited gate insulator layer. The use of high-k dielectrics such as HfO₂, ZrO₂, La₂O₃ and Ta₂O₅, HfLaO, and HfZrO deposited through methods and systems of the present invention provides for fabrication of increasingly smaller transistors that have improved leakage currents and other characteristics such compared with traditional silicon oxide-type dielectrics. A substrate 605 is prepared for deposition, typically a silicon or silicon-containing material. As described above in relation to substrate types, however, other semiconductor materials such as germanium, gallium arsenide, and silicon-on-sapphire substrates may also be used. Prior to depositing a gate dielectric 620, various layers within the substrate 605 of the transistor are formed and various regions of the substrate are prepared, such as the drain diffusion 610 and source diffusion 615 of the transistor 600. The substrate 605 is typically cleaned to provide an initial substrate depleted of its native oxide. The substrate may also be cleaned to provide a hydrogen-terminated surface to improve the rate of chemisorption. The sequencing of the formation of the regions of the transistor being processed may follow typical sequencing that is generally performed in the fabrication of a MOS transistor, as is known to those skilled in the art.

In various embodiments, the dielectric 620 covering the area on the substrate 605 between the source and drain diffused regions 615 and 610 is deposited by the ALD process described in accordance with FIG. 1 of the present invention, and comprises a layer of a metal oxide in molecular proportion that was deposited through at least partial exposure to NxOy species-bearing gasses. The single dielectric layer 620 shown is merely one embodiment, and may in other embodiments also include additional layers of thin-film metal oxides or other suitable dielectrics or barrier materials deposited in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

The transistor 600 has a conductive material forming a single gate electrode 625 over the gate dielectric 620. Typically, forming the gate 625 may include forming a polysilicon layer, though a metal gate may be formed in an alternative process. Fabricating the substrate 605, the source and drain regions 615 610, and the gate 625, is performed by using standard processes known to those skilled in the art or those processes enhanced by embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, the sequencing of the various elements of the process for forming a transistor is conducted with standard fabrication processes, also as known to those skilled in the art.

In the illustrated embodiment, the dielectric layer 620 is shown as being the first layer and in direct contact with the substrate 605; however, the invention is not so limited. In various embodiments, a diffusion barrier layer may be inserted between the dielectric layer 620 and the substrate 605 to prevent metal contamination from affecting the electrical properties of the device. The transistor 600 shown in FIG. 6 has a conductive material forming a single gate electrode 625, but the gate dielectric may also be used in a floating gate device such as flash memory as depicted in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 illustrates a single memory cell 700 fabricated according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the memory cell 700 is a floating gate memory cell appropriate for use in FLASH or other memory devices. Similar to the transistor 600 shown in FIG. 6, the memory cell 700 includes a substrate 705 (usually silicon but may be other substrates as described herein) in which a source region 715 and a drain region 710 are formed. Typically, memory cell 700 also includes a first dielectric layer 720 (which may be referred to as a tunnel layer), a storage element or floating gate 725 (formed of conductive material such as polysilicon), a second dielectric layer 725, and a control gate 735 (also formed of conductive material such as polysilicon).

Similarly to the transistor 600 described in relation to FIG. 6, the memory cell 700 is fabricated with an embodiment of a method of the present invention to form either or both dielectric layers 720, 730. Dielectric layers 720, 730 may be fabricated in whole or in part by using an ALD-deposited metal oxide gate insulator layer that is formed by methods in accordance with the present invention. The substrate 705 is prepared for deposition, typically a silicon or silicon-containing material. As described above in relation to substrate types, however, other semiconductor materials such as germanium, gallium arsenide, and silicon-on-sapphire substrates may also be used. Prior to depositing the dielectric 720, various layers within the substrate 705 of the transistor are formed and various regions of the substrate are prepared, such as the drain diffusion 710 and source diffusion 715 of the memory cell 700. The substrate 705 is typically cleaned to provide an initial substrate depleted of its native oxide. The substrate may also be cleaned to provide a hydrogen-terminated surface to improve the rate of chemisorption. The sequencing of the formation of the regions of the transistor being processed may follow typical sequencing that is generally performed in the fabrication of a MOS transistor, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

In various embodiments, the dielectric 720 covering the area on the substrate 705 between the source and drain diffused regions 715 and 710 is deposited by the ALD process described in accordance with FIG. 1 of the present invention, and comprises a layer of metal oxide deposited through at least partial exposure to NxOy species-bearing gasses. The dielectric layers shown 720, 730 may in other embodiments also include additional layers of metal oxides or other suitable dielectrics or barrier materials.

The memory cell 700 has conductive materials forming a control gate electrode 735 and floating gate 725 in a region over the dielectric 720. Typically, forming the gates 725, 735 may include forming polysilicon layers, though metal gates may be formed in an alternative process. The process to fabricate the substrate 705, the source and drain regions 715 710, and the gate 725, 735 is performed using standard processes known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the sequencing of the various elements of the process for forming a memory cell is conducted with standard fabrication processes, which are also known to those skilled in the art.

In the illustrated embodiment, the dielectric layers 720, 730 are shown as being in direct contact with the substrate 705, the floating gate 725, and the control gate 735. In other embodiments, diffusion barrier layers may be inserted between the dielectric layers 720, 730 and/or the substrate 705, the floating gate 725, and the control gate 735 to prevent metal contamination from affecting the electrical properties of the memory cell 700.

The embodiments of methods for forming metal oxide dielectric layers in accordance with the present invention may also be applied to methods to fabricate capacitors in various integrated circuits, memory devices, and electronic systems. In an embodiment for fabricating a capacitor, a method includes forming a first conductive layer, forming a dielectric layer containing a metal oxide layer on the first conductive layer by embodiments of the ALD cycle described herein, and forming a second conductive layer on the dielectric layer. ALD formation of the metal oxide dielectric layer allows the dielectric layer to be engineered within a predetermined composition providing a desired dielectric constant and/or other controllable characteristics.

Electronic components such as transistors, capacitors, and other devices having dielectric layers fabricated by embodiments of the present invention described herein may be implemented into memory devices, processors, and electronic systems. Generally, as depicted in FIG. 8, such electronic components 810 may be incorporated into systems 820 such as information processing devices. Such information processing devices may include wireless systems, telecommunication systems, mobile subscriber units such as cellular phones and smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and computers. An embodiment of a computer including components having a dielectric layer, such as an HfLaO dielectric layer, formed by atomic layer deposition using methods described herein is shown in FIG. 9 and described below. While specific types of memory devices and computing devices are shown below, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that several types of memory devices and electronic systems including information handling devices utilize the present subject matter.

A personal computer 900, as shown in FIG. 9, may include an output device such as screen or monitor 910, keyboard input device 905 and a central processing unit 920. Central processing unit 920 typically may include circuitry 925 that utilizes a processor 935, and a memory bus circuit 937 coupling one or more memory devices 940 to the processor 935. The processor 935 and/or memory 940 of the personal computer 900 also includes at least one transistor or memory cell having a dielectric layer formed by atomic layer deposition using methods described herein according an embodiment of the present subject matter. Those of skill in the art are aware that other electronic components in the computer 900 may utilize a dielectric layer formed by atomic layer deposition using methods described herein, such as those formed through at least partial exposure to NxOy species-bearing gasses. Such components may include many types of integrated circuits including processor chip sets, video controllers, memory controllers, I/O handlers, BIOS memory, FLASH memory, audio and video processing chips, and the like. Those of skill in the art also appreciate that other information handling devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile communication devices such as cell phones and smart phones may incorporate dielectric layers that are formed by using embodiments of the present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and embodiments disclosed herein, and as supplemented by the technical disclosure described in the following exemplary claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for depositing a film on a substrate that is within a reaction chamber, the method comprising applying an atomic layer deposition cycle to the substrate, the cycle comprising: exposing the substrate to a precursor gas for a precursor pulse interval and then removing the precursor gas; and exposing the substrate to an oxidizer comprising an oxidant gas and a nitrogen-containing species gas comprising activated ionic or radical species for an oxidation pulse interval and then removing the oxidizer; prior to introducing the nitrogen-containing species to the reaction chamber, monitoring the nitrogen-containing species; and adjusting one or more process parameters based on the step of monitoring.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas comprises a rare earth metal selected from the group consisting of Sc, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and combinations thereof.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas comprises at least one of an organo-metallic and a metal halide compound.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor gas comprises at least one of: hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl₄); titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄); tantalum pentachloride (TaCl₅); tantalum pentafluoride (TaF₅); zirkonium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄); rare earth betadiketonate compounds including (La(THD)₃) and (Y(THD)₃); rare earth cyclopentadienyl (Cp) compounds including La(iPrCp)₃; rare earth amidinate compounds including lanthanum tris-formamidinate La(FAMD)₃; cyclooctadienyl compounds including rare earth metals; alkylamido compounds including: tetrakis-ethyl-methylamino hafnium (TEMAHf); tetrakis (diethylamino) hafnium ((EtzN)₄Hf or TDEAH); and tetrakis (dimethylamino) hafnium ((Me₂N)₄Hf or TDMAH); alkoxides; halide compounds of silicon; silicon tetrachloride; silicon tetrafluoride; and silicon tetraiodide.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidant gas is a nitrogen- containing gas.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing species gas includes activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N2O₅*.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidant gas comprises ozone and one or more gasses selected from the group consisting of O, O₂, NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, an N_(x)O_(y) radical species, an N_(x)O_(y) ionic species, and combinations thereof.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein the oxidant gas comprises approximately 5 atomic percent to 25 atomic percent O₃.
 9. The method of claim 6 wherein O₃ is produced from O₂ and a nitrogen source gas wherein a mixture of the O₂ and nitrogen source gas is subjected to a plasma discharge.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the nitrogen source gas is at least one of N₂, NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, and N₂O₅.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing species gas comprises one or more of the group consisting of: an excited N_(x)O_(y) radical species, an excited N_(x)O_(y) ionic species, and combinations thereof.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidant gas comprises a mixture of two or more of O, O₂, NO, N₂O, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, NO_(x), N_(x)O_(y), radicals thereof, and O₃, and wherein the mixture comprises approximately 5 atomic percent to 25 atomic percent O₃.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein a flow ratio of N₂/O₂ is >0.001.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the ratio of the O₂ and the nitrogen source gas determine at least one of: an amount of a nitrogen-containing species gas comprising activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N₂O₅*; a concentration of a nitrogen-containing species gas comprising activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N₂O₅*; a growth rate of the deposited film; a film uniformity across the substrate; a dielectric constant of the deposited film; an index of refraction of the deposited film; and a molecular composition of the deposited film.
 15. The method of claim 9 wherein a power input controls the plasma, and an amount of power delivered to the plasma determine at least one of: an amount of a nitrogen-containing species gas comprising activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N₂O₅*; a concentration of a nitrogen-containing species gas comprising activated ionic or radical species including at least one of NO*, N₂O*, NO₂*, NO₃*, and N₂O₅*; a growth rate of the deposited film; a film uniformity across the substrate; a dielectric constant of the deposited film; an index of refraction of the deposited film; and a molecular composition of the deposited film.
 16. The method of claim 9 further comprising: generating the oxidizer by exposing O₂ and a nitrogen source gas to a plasma discharge; monitoring a ratio of O₃ and excited N_(x)O_(y), species generated by the plasma discharge; and adjusting at least one of a power input to the plasma discharge, a temperature of a housing; a flow rate of the O₂, and a flow rate of the nitrogen source gas to achieve a predetermined criterion.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of: an oxidizer flow rate; an oxidant/N_(x)O_(y) concentration ratio; an active N_(x)O_(y) species concentration; a ratio of active N_(x)O_(y) species, wherein the excited N_(x)O_(y) species gas contains a plurality of excited nitrogen-oxygen compounds; and a concentration of a particular active nitrogen-oxygen compound.
 18. The method of claim 1 further comprising: exposing the substrate to a second precursor gas for a second precursor pulse interval then removing the second precursor gas thereafter; and after removing the second precursor gas, exposing the substrate to an oxidizer comprising an oxidant gas and a nitrogen-containing species gas for a oxidation pulse interval then removing the oxidizer thereafter.
 19. A system comprising: a reaction chamber; a precursor reactant source coupled to the reactor chamber; a purge gas source coupled to the reactor chamber; an oxidizer gas source coupled to the reactor chamber; an activated nitrogen-containing species source coupled to the reactor chamber; a system operation and control mechanism configured to cause the system to apply an atomic layer deposition cycle to a substrate, the cycle comprising: exposing the substrate to a precursor gas for a precursor pulse interval then removing the precursor gas thereafter; and exposing the substrate to an oxidizer comprising an oxidant gas and an activated nitrogen-containing species gas for an oxidation pulse interval then removing the oxidizer thereafter; and a sensor coupled to the activated nitrogen-containing species source, wherein the sensor monitors one or more of an amount, a composition, and a concentration of the activated nitrogen-containing species.
 20. The system of claim 19 that further includes either a plasma discharge or an ozone generator.
 21. The system of claim 19 that further includes a generator being supplied (a) O₂ from an oxidizer source, and (b) a nitrogen-bearing molecule from a nitrogen source.
 22. The system of claim 19 that further includes a coronal discharge to create the activated nitrogen-containing species.
 23. The system of claim 19 wherein the sensor communicates with a control system to control the amount of activated nitrogen-containing species.
 24. The system of claim 19 that further includes a mechanism for loading a substrate into the reaction chamber.
 25. The system of claim 19 wherein the oxidizer gas source is coupled to the reactor chamber separate from where the activated nitrogen-containing source is coupled to the reaction chamber. 